Lake of Barroude by the hourquette 1 cedric conchon

Lake Barroude

par la hourquette de Chermentas

Lac de Barroude, located in the Gela valley, is a high-altitude lake (2355 meters). Its welcoming shores offer themselves to hikers looking for charm, soothing and serenity and attracted by the walls composed by Pic de la Gela, Pic Gerbats, Petit Pic Blanc, Pic Heid and finally Pic de Troumouse.

By Cédric Conchon

From Saint-Lary

to the estives

Lake of Barroude by the hourquette 4 cedric conchon

To Lac du Badet

Our tour starts in Saint-Lary, taking the road leading to Spain through the Aragnouet-Bielsa tunnel. After turning right (D 118) towards the Piau-Engaly ski resort, we park our car at the bottom of parking lot number 1 leading to the entrance to the Badet valley. Tent, gas, sleeping bag, clothes and food for 2 days, we start the climb up the path leading to the Lac du Badet.

After 40 minutes of rather easy climbing, we stop in front of an unusual sight. A cow has just given birth to a little calf that can’t yet stand on its feet. By the enticing scent, 1, 2, 3… 20 vultures arrive on the scene to feast on the deliverance of the cow and perhaps a frail little calf. An epic battle between a 600-kilo behemoth, master of the estives, and 8-kilo birds of prey, masters of the air and sky. Aided by another cow, the scene lasts 45 minutes, until the calf stands up and takes its first feed.

Recovered from our emotions, we continue to Lac du Badet, where the emerald-blue water reflects the surrounding mountains. “It’s well worth a break!”

Lake of Barroude by the hourquette 3 cedric conchon

Lake of Barroude by the hourquette 6 cedric conchon

Lake of Barroude by the hourquette 7 cedric conchon

Enjoy

The serenity and relaxing calm of the laquettes.

Two hours later, we arrive at Hourquette de Chermentas culminating at 2,439 meters and bordered by Pic de la Gela and the surrounding ridges. With a quick bite of cake and a drink of fresh water, we’re off again into the Géla valley. A path zigzags along the edge of the cliffs. It gives us 1 hour in the shade, because it’s so hot! (≤30°C).

Wandering through a chaos of boulders, shrill whistles can be heard. Given the temperature, it’s normal to come across a few marmots resting in the cool.

Going further up the mountain we arrive at the junction of paths, one leading to Lac de Barroude, the other down into the valley. We emerge directly onto the lake in the Pyrenees National Park, a nature reserve. The idyllic setting invites you to bivouac from 7pm to 9am. We’ll have plenty of time to fish!
The fishing rod is set up and it’s on the first cast of the spoon that it bites; a 20 cm fario trout that was surely hungry… as soon as it’s caught, as soon as it’s released.

At the end of the day, our bodies are tired from all the adventure and walking. We watch the enchanting spectacle of clouds licking the Troumouse peaks in a setting sun.

Lake of Barroude by the hourquette - marmots

Finally...

In the wee hours of the morning (6am) a gentle melody wakes us up. It’s the clarines of the “oueilles”. For those of you who don’t know “oueilles”, these are animals that are as gentle as lambs, and which we love in a leg of lamb. Let’s not forget that these ewes are at home on these estives and help maintain the meadows… We thank them!!

Let’s get back to our sheep… When the tent opens, we discover an ocean of clouds in the valley. They bubble up like the sea, their waves crashing against the rock faces. In the face of this spectacle, each of us agrees that it’s well worth getting up.

Abandoning this paradise, we descend through the Géla valley, following the waterfall and its tumultuous waters. All the way down, we stop here and there to admire and photograph these flowers that fill our hearts with color.